The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a tubular knitted article, which has plain stitches and purl stitches in each stitch row, on a flat knitting machine comprising at least two diametrically opposed needle beds, wherein, at least past a vertical section of the knitted article, purl stitches follow the plain stitches of a stitch row in a subsequent stitch row, and plain stitches follow the purl stitches of this stitch row in the subsequent stitch row.
Tubular knitted articles can be manufactured as smooth-surface knitted articles which, however, tend to roll up at the edges of the knitted article. They can also be formed as ribbed knitted articles, in which case plain stitches and purl stitches alternate, thereby producing a knitted article having high transverse elasticity and relatively high longitudinal elasticity. A method for manufacturing such a tubular ribbed knitted article is disclosed in BE 789902 A1, for example. In that case, the plain stitches and purl stitches for the front part and the back part are formed in alternation using one stroke of the carriage in each case. A large quantity of thread material is inlaid into the knitted article to connect the loops on the front needle bed and the rear needle bed. The result is an unstable knitted article having high elasticity.